Sunderland Echo

Escape to victory with challenge

FAMIY’S LOVE OF SOLVING CRIMES HELPS LAUNCH NEW BUSINESS ATTRACTION

- By Fiona Thompson fiona.thompson@jpress.co.uk Twitter: @fionathomp­sonjp

Fancy playing detective to beat the clock?

Sunderland will this weekend welcome its latest escape room attraction after a family’s love of solving clues developed into a new business venture for their mum.

Deon Winter is due to open The Strategy this weekend, with the first of the games harking back to Sunderland’s shipbuildi­ng roots.

After witnessing a distressin­g mafia murder in a ship yard, teams find themselves trapped inside a crate bound for an unknown destinatio­n and must crack a set of clues to find the key within an hour before the ship leaves.

It will be followed by two other tougher games, one with a bank vault theme and the other a maze, as the venue develops. Teams of between two and eight can take part.

Deon has used her skills as a light installati­on artist to put together the new venture, along with her children’s ex- perience of the games they have played.

Deon is mum to Anna, 25, Alice, 23, Bliss, 15 and Antoninio, 11.

The 46-year-old, who grew up in Sunderland, has returned to the North East after living in Northampto­n.

She said: “My family love escape rooms and it’s something they want to go and do continuous­ly.

“The project so far is going really good, excellent, and it’s all coming together after a long time and to see it ready to open is exciting.

“It is challengin­g, but it will suit all sorts of people and everyone has to work together as a team.”

The Strategy, based at Pallion Residents Enterprise off Victory Street, opens on Saturday. For more details visit www.the-strategy.co.uk.

It is the second escape room challenge to open after Clue HQ in John Street.

 ??  ?? Deon Winter’s The Strategy’s escape room game.
Deon Winter’s The Strategy’s escape room game.

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